Branding over the last few months, across every industry, has been thrown into the centre of virtual meeting room tables for forensic review.

In a State of Branding report by Bynder, a digital asset management platform, the research found that half of all brand professionals see the development of new messaging, content and campaigns in response to Covid-19 as their highest branding-related priority. Only 6% of brands surveyed were making no changes to strategy. Covid-19 has knocked both consumer and commercial confidence, so it’s no surprise the avenue to clarity is unclear. However, the nature of branding as a concept can provide more light than many companies are giving it credit for.

Branding is, at its very essence, the voice of a company. It is the consumer-facing, shiny and associative amalgamation of colour, imagery and copy that, if it’s executed well, can cut through the noise of competitor markets and capture demographic interest. PR Week has suggested in many of its recent articles on the subject that brands shouldn't ‘go dark’ as meaningful relationships can be built and maintained even during a crisis, or lost without consistent communication.  In this way, it is easy to see why businesses should tread carefully in times of crisis to ensure their branding is in line with how companies should be talking to their customers. 

The word should imply the ability to do something. That it should be done also means that it may not be. As consumers grow ever more discerning with regards to the brands they trust, instruct, buy from and work with, it is this very word that will often sway their purchase decisions. For example, should X successful online shopping brand be donating more to global efforts to help fight Covid-19, just as its competitors are doing? The answer is most likely, yes. But, has this brand met the moral prerequisite of its usual customer base? If the answer is no, they may not only experience losses as customers take their business elsewhere, but the brand itself will be affected by association. 

This is a prime example of the way branding exercises are changing in the wake of Covid-19. Promoting philanthropism in times of need will not only give businesses the goodness-by-association boost to appeal to their very real, human customer base, but it will also contribute to any ongoing profile-raising activity in the media. A favourite example of mine is LVMH’s commitment to retrofit its factories to produce hand sanitizer gel, starting deliveries within 72 hours. A brand that puts in place financial streams to help people survive in the most testing post-war times we have ever seen will gain consumer trust and business credibility for years to come. 

Finally, a note about driving home the humanity of your messaging. Covid-19 has demonstrated to us the power of professionals in their industries and the importance of honouring them as. Any successful communications strategy going forward will have an authentic voice, praising company employees and patrons for their hard work, especially in such trying times. It is human interest that will propel great brands to the forefront of the press, capturing consumer interest and highlighting the relevance of your brand to the modern, post-Covid-19 audience.